Suburban Public Healthcare Awaits CM’s Booster Shot

The state health department has sought the intervention of chief minister Prithviraj Chavan to set up super–speciality hospitals in eastern and western suburbs. "There is not a single government–run super–speciality hospital in the suburbs. We urgently need to upgrade health facilities there," public health minister Suresh Shetty said.

Mumbai’s three existing government–run super–speciality hospitals–KEM, Sion and Nair–are located in the island city.

Land being an issue in Mumbai, Shetty has urged Chavan, who also heads the urban development department, to call officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the collector’s office to finalize land for super–speciality hospitals.

"When Ashok Chavan was the chief minister, the municipal commissioner had identified three plots–two in the eastern suburbs and one in the western suburbs–for the purpose. But after the change of guard, we have not made much headway. I want to take the proposal forward," said Shetty.

The state government has been accused of neglecting the suburbs though a majority of the city’s 1.5 crore population resides here. Expansion of Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle is underway. The BMC plans to upgrade Bhagwati Hospital at Borivli to a super–specialty facility. At Jan Kalyan Nagar in Malad (W), a 50–bed hospital, which was ready five years ago, is yet to be commissioned.

"The hospital has an area of 40 lakh sq ft. It can easily be upgraded to a super–speciality hospital. But the government does not seem interested in commissioning it," said Yogesh Sagar, a BJP MLA.

In Ghatkopar, a public works department (PWD) plot has a reservation for a 14–storey hospital. However, the PWD, in an agreement with developers signed in 2007, consented to a 60–bed hospital. "The health department has objected to the agreement as we were not taken into confidence," said an official.

A Dose of Reality

Mumbai’s three existing government–run super–speciality hospitals–KEM, Sion and Nair–are located in the island city

The state government has been accused of neglecting the suburbs though a majority of the city’s 1.5 crore population resides here

A 50–bed hospital at Jan Kalyan Nagar in Malad (W) was ready five years ago but is yet to be commissioned

Public health minister Suresh Shetty has urged the CM, who also heads the urban development department, to call officials of the BMC, MMRDA and the collector’s office to finalize land for super–speciality hospitals

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